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ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Tuesday unveiled the schedule for the 11th edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), with the 44-match tournament set to run from March 26 to May 3 across six cities.&nbsp;For the first time in the league&rsquo;s history, eight teams will participate in the 39-day event, marking a new phase for Pakistan&rsquo;s premier T20 competition. Two new franchises &mdash; Hyderabad Kingsmen and Rawalpindi Pindiz &mdash; have joined the league following the recent PSL auction.&nbsp;Matches will be held in Faisalabad, Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Peshawar and Rawalpindi, with Faisalabad and Peshawar hosting PSL fixtures for the first time. According to the schedule, each team will play 10 matches in the group stage. The top four teams will advance to the playoffs, comprising Qualifier 1, Eliminator, Qualifier 2 and the final, scheduled from April 28 to May 3.&nbsp;The final will be played at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on May 3, with May 4 reserved as a backup day.&nbsp;The opening match will take place on March 26 at Gaddafi Stadium between Lahore Qalandars and Hyderabad Kingsmen. The venue will host a total of 15 matches, including three double-headers.&nbsp;Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium will stage 11 matches, including a qualifier, while Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad will host seven games in its PSL debut season.&nbsp;Karachi&rsquo;s National Bank Stadium will host six matches, while Multan Cricket Stadium will stage four evening fixtures featuring home side Multan Sultans.&nbsp;Meanwhile, Imran Khan Cricket Stadium in Peshawar &mdash; formerly known as Arbab Niaz Stadium &mdash; will host its first-ever PSL match on March 28 between Peshawar Zalmi and Rawalpindi Pindiz.&nbsp;The tournament will feature 12 double-headers in total.&nbsp;Following their inclusion in the league, Hyderabad Kingsmen were acquired for Rs1.75 billion, while Rawalpindi Pindiz were purchased for Rs2.45 billion.&nbsp;The PCB has also opened the media accreditation process for PSL 11, with applications to be submitted through the board&rsquo;s online portal by&nbsp;7 p.m. on March 13. PSL 11 schedule<figure class="fr-media"><img src="https://paktv-assets-7d41fab8.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/uploads/0f7ff10c-2d9a-4b3a-9af8-3799717a166c-WhatsApp Image 2026-03-10 at 7.38.37 PM.jpeg" alt="WhatsApp Image 2026-03-10 at 7.38.37 PM.jpeg" class="fr-fil fr-dib"></figure>

Cricket

PSL 11 schedule announced; eight teams to compete across six venues

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Super League&rsquo;s governing council has approved a major structural overhaul for the league&rsquo;s 11th season, replacing the long-standing player draft with a full-scale player auction model. This move marks the most significant reform in the PSL&rsquo;s history, signalling&nbsp;a decisive shift in its commercial and competitive direction. The Pakistan Cricket Board said the transition to an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/psl-auction-hyderabad-franchise-sells-for-a-record-61-million" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">auction system</a>, to be implemented from HBL PSL 11, is aimed at enhancing transparency, strengthening competitive balance and significantly expanding earning opportunities for players, as the league enters its second decade. Under the new framework, franchises will be allowed to retain only four players, with a maximum of one retention per category &mdash; a sharp reduction from the previous system that allowed up to eight retentions, alongside mentors, brand ambassadors and a Right to Match (RTM) option. All such provisions have now been scrapped. The overhaul fundamentally reshapes squad-building dynamics, forcing franchises to re-enter the market and bid competitively for top talent, rather than relying on long-term protections built into the draft system. Newly inducted teams will be permitted to pre-select and retain four players from the available pool before the auction, giving them a base to build competitive squads. In addition, each franchise will be allowed one direct signing of a foreign player who did not feature in PSL 10, opening the door for fresh international names and strategic recruitment. Franchises&#39; salary purse increased to $1.6M In another major decision with long-term financial implications, the governing council has approved an increase in the player salary purse to $1.6 million per franchise, reinforcing the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/pcb-invites-bids-for-multan-sultans-franchise-ahead-of-psl-11" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">PSL&rsquo;s ambition</a>&nbsp;to position itself as a more lucrative and globally attractive league for elite domestic and overseas cricketers. The PCB said the reforms reflect the league&rsquo;s evolving commercial maturity and its intent to align more closely with global franchise models, while maintaining its core objective of promoting high-quality cricket and fan engagement. HBL PSL 11 is scheduled to begin on 26 March 2026, with Faisalabad added as an additional host venue, marking the city&rsquo;s return to top-tier cricket and expanding the league&rsquo;s national footprint.Further details regarding the player auction mechanism, timelines and operational guidelines are expected to be announced in the coming weeks. The move to an auction system is widely seen as a watershed moment for the PSL &mdash; one that could redefine franchise valuations, reshape competitive balance and alter the league&rsquo;s economic landscape ahead of its second decade.

PCB says the transition to an auction system, to be implemented from HBL PSL 11, is aimed at strengthening competitive balance and significantly expanding earning opportunities for players, as the league enters its second decade.

Pakistan Super League approves player auction model for season 11

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Wednesday announced that it received 12 bids from interested parties for two new franchises of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) tournament, a statement issued by the cricketing body said. According to the statement, the board called the development an &ldquo;exceptional and encouraging response,&rdquo; sharing that &ldquo;these bidders belong to five continents, including the United States, Australia, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, and Pakistan.&rdquo;&nbsp; The board said that the response reflected PSL&rsquo;s growing global popularity and &ldquo;commercial appeal.&rdquo; It added that the results of the current phase of the bidding process will be announced on December 27.&nbsp; &ldquo;In the next stage, technically qualified bidders will be given the opportunity to purchase the two new teams through an open competition bidding process,&rdquo; the press release said. As of now, there are six teams in the league with every team containing a mix of local and international players.&nbsp; This will be the first major restructure of the tournament since 2018. The bidding process will be held on January 8, the board said.&nbsp; &ldquo;The Pakistan Cricket Board is committed to completing this process in a transparent and competitive manner in line with international standards, to ensure the continued expansion and growth of the HBL Pakistan Super League,&rdquo; the PCB statement said.

Board says this would be the first major restructure to the tournament since 2018; bidding process to be held on January 8. 

Pakistan Cricket Board receives 12 bids from interested parties for two new PSL franchises

ISLAMABAD: Former South African captain Faf du Plessis has announced he will join Pakistan&rsquo;s premier Twenty20 tournament, the Pakistan Super League (PSL), next year, bringing his 14-year Indian Premier League (IPL) career to a close. In a post on X earlier this week, the former Proteas skipper said he had chosen not to enter this year&rsquo;s IPL auction. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a big decision, and one that comes with a lot of gratitude when I look back,&rdquo; he wrote. Du Plessis, who appeared in 154 IPL matches, said the tournament had been &ldquo;a massive part&rdquo; of his cricketing journey. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been lucky to play with world-class teammates, for amazing franchises, and in front of fans whose passion is like nothing else,&rdquo; he said, adding that his time in the league had given him &ldquo;friendships, lessons, and memories&rdquo; that shaped him both as a cricketer and as a person. While acknowledging that 14 years was a long time, he stressed it was not a farewell. &ldquo;You&rsquo;ll see me again,&rdquo; he said. The former South African captain confirmed that he will take on &ldquo;a new challenge&rdquo; next year by joining the upcoming PSL season. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s an exciting step for me, a chance to experience something new, to grow as a player, and to embrace a league filled with incredible talent and energy,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;A new country. A new environment. A new challenge. I&rsquo;m looking forward to the Pakistan hospitality. See you all soon,&rdquo; du Plessis added.

Former South African skipper says he had chosen not to enter this year’s Indian Premier League auction; 'looking forward' to Pakistani hospitality; 'A new country. A new environment. A new challenge.

Articles tagged with "Pakistan Super League"

PSL 11 schedule announced; eight teams to compete across six venues

Pakistan Super League approves player auction model for season 11

Pakistan Cricket Board receives 12 bids from interested parties for two new PSL franchises

Faf du Plessis ends IPL stint, confirms debut in Pakistan’s PSL